The terms of public service are the prerogative of the public. Fundamental among those terms; public servants are accountable to the public, and to meaningful standards of conduct and competence, at least for the eight measly hours a day that we have to "trust" them with the control over our power and our resources.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

In 2007, the Journal first reported on the scandal in the leadership of APS' publicly funded private police force, link. Their investigation revealed abuse of a federal criminal database and the misappropriation of cash in evidence. They are both felonies; the first a felony under federal law, the second a felony under state law. No one has ever denied the allegations or argued felonies had not been committed.

APS conducted all of the investigations that were ever done; internally, and never turned over evidence and testimony to the District Attorney for her consideration of the filing of criminal charges. The findings, what is left of them, are being hidden still, from public knowledge by the leadership of the APS by means of very expensive legal weaselry.

For years, APS has steadfastly denied any self investigation by APS' police force. As recently as December 12 of this year, APS Custodian of Public Records Rigo Chavez wrote;

With regard to your request for “some clarity” on the number of investigations of APS Police conducted in 2007, I have written in previous letters there was only one investigation conducted on allegations of misconduct and that was the one done by Access Investigations under a contract with Robert Caswell Investigations, which had an agreement with APS Human Resources. Letters stating this have been provided to both you and your attorney. I refer to a letter mailed to you dated June 22, 2010, where I wrote: “There was only one investigation done and that was the one done by Robert Caswell Investigations.” I also refer to a letter I wrote to you dated July 21, 2010: “As I wrote in my June 22, 2010, letter, there was only one investigation into the conduct of Gilbert Lovato.”
There is no APS Police report of an investigation into alleged misconduct in 2007 emphasis added

Yesterday after years if denial, Chavez finally admits;

With regard to your questions: “Did Steve Gallegos conduct any kind of
investigation at all, of anything related related (sic) to the
allegations of misconduct in late 2006 or early 2007? Including, but not
limited to the misuse of the BCSD NCIC data base and or the
misappropriation of money in evidence that was spent as petty cash?” I
asked Mr. Gallegos your questions and he responded that he had conducted
an investigation into the possible misuse of the NCIC system. He said
he turned that internal investigation report over to then-acting chief
Steve Tellez. Mr. Gallegos did not keep a copy and has been unable to
locate a copy. emphasis added

I also spoke with Karen Rudys of APS Human Resources because the report
involved alleged employee misconduct and she responded that she also has
not been able to locate a copy.

APS' current Chief of Police Steve Gallegos was in charge of an investigation of felony criminal misconduct involving the senior most leadership of the APS, all of whom were complicit in, complacent about, or willfully ignorant of, the felony public corruption and incompetence, in which they were awash. Including his boss, soon to be Chief Steve Tellez.

Tellez was later fired over allegations of his own incompetence and corruption.

Gallegos says he "did not keep a copy" of the findings of what was likely the most consequential investigation he ever undertook in his career with the APS Police. He offers no explanation as to why he investigated the felony abuse of the NCIC but not the felony misappropriation of cash in evidence.

He turned over the findings of an investigation that should have named Steve Tellez as complicit, complacent or willingly ignorant of felony criminal misconduct, to Steve Tellez. And the only other copy? lost.

Robert Caswell is disinclined, in my experience, to explain whether their investigation uncovered felony criminal conduct (how could it not), and whether they had any responsibility to turn their findings over to law enforcement instead of giving them to APS to hide.

The beginning of the cover up of felony criminal misconduct involving senior APS administrators began in 2007 and is old news, despite the fact that at least a few of the original players are still working in APS. That the cover up continues to this day, is of course, not old news.

It is not news at all.

The Journal is fully aware of all of these details and stubbornly refuses to investigate and report upon even ongoing corruption in the leadership of the APS; even in the face of a school board election and the hiring of a new superintendent.